16-year-old who claimed to make deal with devil to stand trial as adult in girl's death

Updated 8:54 pm, Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Corrianne Cervantes, a 15-year-old Clear Lake girl, was killed in an apartment that police say had evidence of occult activity. The 16-year-old suspect will stand trial as an adult.

Corrianne Cervantes, a 15-year-old Clear Lake girl, was killed in an apartment that police say had evidence of occult activity. The 16-year-old suspect will stand trial as an adult.

Photo: Facebook

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Corriann Cervantes, 15, was found brutally murdered after being abducted. The killing took place at a vacant apartment on The Bays Apartments in Clear Lake. Two teenagers have been accused of the murder. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014. less

Corriann Cervantes, 15, was found brutally murdered after being abducted. The killing took place at a vacant apartment on The Bays Apartments in Clear Lake. Two teenagers have been accused of the murder. ... more

Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle

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Corriann Cervantes was found dead ﻿in a vacant unit at The Bays Apartments in Clear Lake with an upside down cross on her stomach.

Corriann Cervantes was found dead ﻿in a vacant unit at The Bays Apartments in Clear Lake with an upside down cross on her stomach.

Tom Brady, 35, and his wife Danielle Brady, 38, have being feeling safe for the past two years living at The Bays Apartments until this past weekend when the body of a 15-year-old girl was found. Two teenagers have been accused of brutally killing Corriann Cervantes as part of a satanic ritual. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014. less

Tom Brady, 35, and his wife Danielle Brady, 38, have being feeling safe for the past two years living at The Bays Apartments until this past weekend when the body of a 15-year-old girl was found. Two teenagers ... more

Relatives of Corriann Cervantes, the 15-year-old girl killed in what police said was an occult slaying, held a press conference the Harris County criminal justice center.

Relatives of Corriann Cervantes, the 15-year-old girl killed in what police said was an occult slaying, held a press conference the Harris County criminal justice center.

Photo: J. Patric Schneier, For The Houston Chronicle

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Relatives of Corriann Cervantes, the 15-year-old girl killed in what police said was an occult slaying, held a press conference the Harris County criminal justice center.

Relatives of Corriann Cervantes, the 15-year-old girl killed in what police said was an occult slaying, held a press conference the Harris County criminal justice center.

Photo: J. Patric Schneier, For The Houston Chronicle

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Relatives of Corriann Cervantes, the 15-year-old girl killed in what police said was an occult slaying, held a press conference the Harris County criminal justice center.

Relatives of Corriann Cervantes, the 15-year-old girl killed in what police said was an occult slaying, held a press conference the Harris County criminal justice center.

Photo: J. Patric Schneier, For The Houston Chronicle

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Corriann Cervantes' father Cory holds a picture of her as he speaks to members of the media during a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. Authorities claim a 16-year-old, whose name is not being released because of his age, and 17-year-old Jose E. Reyes sexually assaulted and then killed Corriann Cervantes in a vacant apartment on Feb. 5 in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Corriann Cervantes' father Cory holds a picture of her as he speaks to members of the media during a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. ... more

Photo: J. Patric Schneider, For The Chronicle

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Corriann Cervantes aunt Catera and her father Cory speak to members of the media during a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. Authorities claim a 16-year-old, whose name is not being released because of his age, and 17-year-old Jose E. Reyes sexually assaulted and then killed Corriann Cervantes in a vacant apartment on Feb. 5 in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Corriann Cervantes aunt Catera and her father Cory speak to members of the media during a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. ... more

Photo: J. Patric Schneider, For The Chronicle

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Corriann Cervantes aunt Catera and her father Cory speak to members of the media during a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. Authorities claim a 16-year-old, whose name is not being released because of his age, and 17-year-old Jose E. Reyes sexually assaulted and then killed Corriann Cervantes in a vacant apartment on Feb. 5 in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Corriann Cervantes aunt Catera and her father Cory speak to members of the media during a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. ... more

Photo: J. Patric Schneider, For The Chronicle

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Family members of Corriann Cervantes hold on to each other as they leave a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. Authorities claim a 16-year-old, whose name is not being released because of his age, and 17-year-old Jose E. Reyes sexually assaulted and then killed Corriann Cervantes in a vacant apartment on Feb. 5 in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Family members of Corriann Cervantes hold on to each other as they leave a press conference held outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in Houston. Authorities claim a ... more

Pam Merrill joins supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Police say Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then killed in a vacant Clear Lake apartment in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Pam Merrill joins supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Police say Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then killed in a vacant Clear Lake apartment in ... more

Photo: Eric Kayne, For The Chronicle

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Annabelle Richard, 11, left, and Reagan Deschenes, 18 join supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Police say Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then killed in a vacant Clear Lake apartment in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Annabelle Richard, 11, left, and Reagan Deschenes, 18 join supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Police say Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then ... more

Photo: Eric Kayne, For The Chronicle

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Ashlee Brown, 15, left, and Reagan Deschenes, 18, embrace at a vigil in Clear Lake for Corriann Cervantes. Officers say Cervantes was sexually assaulted and killed by two boys in a satanic ritual on Feb. 5.

Ashlee Brown, 15, left, and Reagan Deschenes, 18, embrace at a vigil in Clear Lake for Corriann Cervantes. Officers say Cervantes was sexually assaulted and killed by two boys in a satanic ritual on Feb.

Annabelle Richard, 11, center, joins supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then killed in a vacant Clear Lake apartment in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Annabelle Richard, 11, center, joins supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then killed in a vacant Clear Lake ... more

Photo: Eric Kayne, For The Chronicle

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Annabelle Richard, 11, left, and Deschenes join supporters during the vigil in a park near the apartment complex where Cervantes' body was found. She was discovered in a vacant unit at The Bays Apartments on El Camino Real.

Annabelle Richard, 11, left, and Deschenes join supporters during the vigil in a park near the apartment complex where Cervantes' body was found. She was discovered in a vacant unit at The Bays Apartments

Ashlee Brown, 15, left, hugs Reagan Deschenes, 18 as they join supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then killed in a vacant Clear Lake apartment in an effort to make a deal with the devil. less

Ashlee Brown, 15, left, hugs Reagan Deschenes, 18 as they join supporters during a vigil for Corriann Cervantes Feb. 12, 2014 in Clear Lake, TX. Cervantes was sexually assaulted by two teens and then killed in ... more

Photo: Eric Kayne, For The Chronicle

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Pam Merrill holds a candle at the vigil.

Pam Merrill holds a candle at the vigil.

Photo: Eric Kayne, For The Chronicle

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Charges have been filed against two suspects arrested in the death of a female found at 16447 El Camino Real about 4:10 a.m. on Saturday (Feb. 8).
Suspect Jose E. Reyes (H/m, DOB: 10-24-96) is charged with capital murder in the 338th State District Court.
A second male suspect, 16, has been referred to the Harris County Juvenile Probation Authority on a charge of capital murder.
The victim, 15, suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. less

Charges have been filed against two suspects arrested in the death of a female found at 16447 El Camino Real about 4:10 a.m. on Saturday (Feb. 8).
Suspect Jose E. Reyes (H/m, DOB: 10-24-96) is charged with ... more

Photo: HPD Booking Mug

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16-year-old who claimed to make deal with devil to stand trial as adult in girl's death

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Victor Alas stood quietly in Harris County juvenile court Wednesday, listening as prosecutors made their case to a judge as to why the 16-year-old should be certified to stand trial on capital murder charges as an adult.

He had, Harris County Assistant District Attorney Martina Longoria said, helped kill 15-year-old Corriann Cervantes in the "most heinous, violent, and intimate kinds of offense a person can commit," all as part of apparent attempt to sell his soul to the devil.

Moments after Longoria finished speaking, Harris County Juvenile Judge Glenn Devlin waived jurisdiction of the case, meaning that Alas will stand trial in adult court along with his 17-year-old co-defendant, Jose Reyes.

On Feb. 8, police arrived before dawn at a second-floor apartment at The Bays, a complex on El Camino Real in the Clear Lake area, after a caller reported finding a body in a vacant apartment.

Devlin listened as Houston Police Detective Mark Condon explained that the caller, who had been heading to buy soda to power through an all-night video game marathon, had spotted the vacant apartment's door ajar, and looked inside.

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There was a dead girl inside, and a scene of chaos, Condon said, explaining what he found after being dispatched to investigate the call.

Bludgeoned, stabbed

Condon arrived at the apartment about 4:30 a.m. and found Cervantes' partially clothed body lying on the floor, porcelain shards strewn about her and embedded in her head. Authorities said she had been bludgeoned with a toilet tank lid, and an upside-down cross had been carved into her stomach.

That was just a fraction of the injuries Condon described to Devlin, explaining that Cervantes also had been stabbed - with a screwdriver, investigators later learned - in the torso and head more than 60 times. She also appeared to have been whipped and then sexually assaulted with an object, he said.

The killers had also used her blood to paint a pentagram on one wall, and an upside-down cross on another. Police eventually learned that the slaying took place late the night on Feb. 4 or early in the morning of Feb. 5, days before her body was discovered.

Condon said that police first guessed the victim to be in her 30s. Local medical examiners later identified her as Cervantes, a raven-haired, round-cheeked girl with blue-green eyes who had attended Clear Lake High School, and later, Clear Lake Alternative Path. Her cause of death was multiple blunt-force and sharp-force injuries, authorities said.

Deal with the devil

Police homed in on the two boys soon after the incident, arresting them days after the discovery of Cervantes' body. Alas told a school counselor he might be arrested for murder, Condon said. Reyes' sister also spoke with authorities, telling them that Reyes had come home and told her that he and Alas had killed a girl.

Condon said Reyes had warned her, "She was going to be next."

Cervantes was killed after the three had sex, Condon said Reyes eventually told investigators. Reyes also told investigators he told Alas that he had sold his soul to the devil and Alas wanted to, as well. Reyes also told authorities Alas choked Cervantes with a belt for 35 minutes, until she was blue in the face.

In court, two of Cervantes' relatives listened as Longoria argued that Alas met the criteria to be tried as an adult. In certification hearings, juvenile judges review evidence about whether there is probable cause to believe the person committed the offense, whether the crime was committed in an aggressive or premeditated manner, whether it was committed against a person or property, the sophistication and maturity of the child, and whether protection of the public requires adult prosecution.

Criminal past detailed

Condon also said in court that Alas had a criminal background, had been a suspect in a Galveston burglary involving thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry, and had faced charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, failing to attend school and marijuana possession.

Alas had not been amenable to programs offered to him while on probation, Longoria said.

Brian Fischer, the attorney representing Alas, argued that Devlin should not certify the boy as an adult. He said that while being evaluated, Alas had shown no evidence of psychotic behavior, did not have any gang affiliations and would benefit from a highly structured residential program.

"There are adequate resources in the juvenile system to provide for the protection of the public and rehabilitation of the juvenile," Fischer said.

Eight relatives and supporters of Alas came to the hearing, but declined to speak to reporters. Two of Cervantes' family members attended as well, also declining to comment.

Alas will be held in the juvenile detention center until he turns 17, at which point he will be transferred to an adult detention center, prosecutors said.